


The AR-1 Cross-Disciplinary Education Program

by respoftw



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Team Bonding, oblivious boys in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 22:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8640994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: Rodney wants to learn how to shoot and John realises that they could all do with expanding their horizons a little bit.





	

* * *

Contrary to what many people (and one Lieutenant Colonel) assumed, Rodney didn't hate guns. He hated the whole American culture that surrounded them, yes, and he may have volunteered the opinion once or twice that if the US were to adopt the Canadian model of gun control then the world would be a much nicer, less violent place but, really, as a feat of mechanical engineering and a method of protecting his own skin from whichever native had decided he would look good in a collar and chains that week, Rodney was a big fan of guns.

All of which he had to explain to the Neanderthal on sentry duty outside of the armoury.

"I dunno, Dr. McKay," the bozo said. "I'm gonna have to call the Colonel."

Rodney rolled his eyes and did it himself, talking into the radio in his ear. "Sheppard, where do you get these marines from and do they accept returns?"

Sheppard's response in his ear was almost instantaneous. "Rodney, haven't I told you to leave my marines alone? They punch a lot harder than the scientists. What have you done now?"

"What have _I_ done?" Rodney sputtered, glaring at the jarhead in front of him. "It's your trained monkeys that are causing the problem. They won't let me in to the armoury despite the fact that I am the head of the science and research department as well as a member of the flagship gate team for this facility and - -" Rodney was directing most of his vitriol at the sergeant in front of him now, forgetting that he was even talking to Sheppard until his familiar drawl flared to life in his ear once more.

"Just stay where you are, McKay," he said. "I'll be there in two."

Rodney smiled vindictively at the guard. "Roger that, Colonel," he preened, already looking forward to the hole that Sheppard was going to rip in the idiot standing in front of him. Just when he thought his day couldn't be redeemed...

Unfortunately, Sheppard seemed as stubborn as his lackey.

"Why do I have to have a reason for visiting the armoury?" Rodney ranted. "You come barging into the labs all the time and I don't question your motives!"

Sheppard cocked his head as he tried to stare Rodney down. "You question my motives every damn time," he shot back.

Rodney bristled. "Well excuse me but there are some very dangerous experiments taking place in the labs and we can't let every Tom, Sheppard or Harry have free run of the place!"

Sheppard smirked and Rodney hurriedly reviewed his words to determine what exactly he'd said that had put that justified look on his face and - - damnit.

"Look," Rodney lowered his voice and pulled Sheppard to the side, away from the gleeful look on the grunt's face. It was time to change tactics. The truth worked sometimes, right? "Look, Colonel, all I want to do is put some practice time in. I promise that I'm not harbouring any postal worker like tendencies and I have zero plans to go on a shooting spree."

Sheppard blinked twice in rapid succession - the only sign that Rodney had taken him by surprise. "You want to improve your shooting?" he deadpanned. " _You_? You hate guns."

"Oh for the love of - - as I was trying to explain to the good sergeant before I realised he didn't have enough brain cells for independent thought, I don't hate guns. Guns have saved my skin on more than one occasion and while I've managed to successfully avoid shooting myself or a member of the team before now, it would be beneficial if I could actually hit a moving target instead of just pointing, shooting and hoping for the best so....practice."

Sheppard's face was always hard for Rodney to read and now was no exception. Rodney rocked back on his heels, about to launch into another, slightly louder rant about exactly why it was a good thing that he wanted to do this when Sheppard surprised him by nodding.

"It's a good idea, McKay. Tell you what, meet me back here after dinner and I'll help."

It was Rodney's turn to blink rapidly. "You'll help me?" He hadn't even considered asking the Colonel for help. In fact, he'd hoped the Colonel would never find out because he'd been convinced that he would be mocked mercilessly for only getting around to doing this now, two and a half years into the expedition. That hadn't gone to plan but, strangely, Sheppard wasn't mocking him. Instead, he looked almost...proud? Rodney shook himself and acquiesced.

Sheppard's smirk returned. "Great," he said. "Dinner at six-thirty, guns at seven."

Rodney huffed a laugh, his mouth running away from him before he could stop it. "The GI equivalent of dinner and a movie if ever I heard it." Realising what he'd just implied, Rodney paled and back-pedalled frantically. "Not that I - I mean, you're obviously not and I'm, well, ok maybe a little but - "

Sheppard interrupted his babbling with a shove. "Breathe, McKay," he teased. Just don't be late, and don't make me regret this."

Rodney nodded and made his escape before he could put his foot any further in his mouth. He did remember to glare victoriously at the hapless marine as he passed though. It might not be the result he'd intended but a victory was still a victory after all.

* * *

  
John felt off-kilter for the rest of the day, his mind struggling to wrap itself around the idea that Rodney was willing to learn how to properly shoot a gun. He was possibly being a little unfair to McKay; he had completed the mandatory gun handling training along with all the other scientists that were attached to an off-world team after all. In fact, he had barely even complained about it. But there was a whole world of difference - a whole galaxy of difference actually - between passing the basic test and becoming proficient.

Rodney, it seemed, still had the ability to surprise him, had _been_ surprising him since that first week when he walked into a black cloud of energy.

John liked that.

John liked a lot of things about Rodney, not least the way his pants hugged the curve of his ass as he stood, legs spread, in front of the shooting range.

"This is ridiculous," Rodney's huffing interrupted John's wandering thoughts.

John checked his watch; Rodney had lasted three minutes before complaining. "What's ridiculous?" he asked.

"This." Rodney pulled off his safety goggles and waved them for emphasis. "I've yet to meet a Wraith who stands still and waits for me to get into the correct shooting position. They're a little more preoccupied with, oh I don't know, sucking the life out of me? This isn't helping."

"You don't run before you walk, McKay," John drawled. "I need to see what you can do. Think of it like a, I don't know, a simulation before you test the theory in the field."

"Oh yes," Rodney rolled his eyes, "very clever Colonel, trying to appeal to my scientific side."

John shrugged. "Doesn't make it any less true. Come on McKay, show me what you've got."

Rodney huffed in reluctance acceptance and turned back to the range. John watched as he got back into the standard position and fired off six neat rounds into the paper target. John was impressed with his form, it was textbook perfect. Knowing Rodney, he probably had taken the directions directly from a textbook. The real proof would be in the results though.

John moved closer to inspect the standard paper target. His brain shorted out just for a second when he saw the six round holes. Four clustered around the centre kill zone and two neat holes in the head. Stunned, he turned to look at Rodney.

"What?" Rodney's attempt to hide his smugness failed completely. "Aiming, I can do. It's all physics when you boil it right down to its component parts." His self satisfied smile faltered a bit. "It's the whole adrenaline, terrified for my life part that I struggle with. We're not all warriors you know."

John shook himself, still struggling to get past the fact that Rodney's effortless shooting there would have outscored most of his marines. Rodney was right. Target practice and real world application were galaxies apart. Still, no-one expected the civilians to be soldiers. He certainly didn't expect Rodney to become one.

"That's why we work in teams," John said. "There's four of us - we all have different strengths."

Rodney snorted. "From where I stand, you, Ronon and Teyla all have the same strengths and I'm the odd man out."

"What? That's not true." John was surprised to hear that Rodney felt that way. "Teyla's the negotiator, Ronon's the muscle, you're the brains and I'm the...whatever the hell I am."

Rodney sighed heavily as he pulled off his safety glasses. "The negotiator, the muscle and the leader," Rodney stressed the word, "can all fight their way out of any situation while the scientist just cowers there like some sort of spare part. I want to change that."

John respected that. He had to, even if part of him didn't agree with it. It wasn't that he didn't think Rodney should be able to hold his own; Rodney already could hold his own. Maybe not with the hand to hand stuff (although there was a surprising amount of strength in his shoulders) but when it came to laying cover fire and the like, Rodney was doing exactly what was expected of him, what John expected of him. It wasn't like any of them had bothered to learn how to repair a DHD or calibrate the LSD or....huh.

John grinned, an idea forming in his head.

"What?" Rodney whined. "You've got that look on your face, the one that usually means that I'm about to get shot at because of some hare-brained plan."

John slapped Rodney on the shoulder. "Team meeting, tomorrow, 10am. All will become clear, buddy. All will become clear."

John ignored Rodney's groan as he started to formulate plans.

* * *

  
Teyla bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Rodney and Ronon's twin expressions of frustration. For all of their many differences, Rodney and Ronon were similar in many ways, not least of which when it came to stubbornness and the complete inability to put on airs for the sake of social niceties.

"Explain again why the Colonel isn't taking part in this innane role play?" Rodney grumbled. "If anyone needs lessons on how to deal with negotiations off world, it's Kirk over there."

John opened his mouth, no doubt to drawl something pithy and sarcastic, but Teyla cut him off with a hard glare. "John," she said firmly, "will take part in the next scenario. This training is for all of us, after all. Now, Rodney, perhaps a better way to open trade negotiations would be to refrain from calling the leader of the indigenous people, a - what was it - hulking great simpleton who doesn't know a good deal when he sees one?"

"But did you hear what he said he wanted for - -" Rodney's mouth shut with a snap as Teyla turned her glare on him.

"And Ronon," she continued, "I appreciate that you are trying to make the scenario as challenging as possible but, perhaps we should start somewhat easier rather than demanding all of Atlantis' virgins for some three day old fruit. We should save something for the later, more advanced lessons."

Ronon shrugged in acceptance. "Whatever you say, teach."

Teyla sighed. "I say let's begin again. Rodney, why don't you start by introducing yourself. Leaving out the part about being a genius who should not be so misused as to have to go on dull, meaningless trading missions."

John completely failed to bite down on the bark of laughter that time. Teyla was beginning to regret agreeing with his plans.

* * *

  
Ronon chuckled quietly as McKay shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Sheppard's idea had been a good one - back in the Satedan military each member of his platoon had been able to at least cover the others specialties in the event of an emergency, even if they only knew the basics. It also meant that he was about to get his chance to pin McKay down and make sure that he knew enough hand to hand that he wouldn't ever have to resort to overdosing himself on Wraith enzyme again.

"Don't worry, buddy, he'll go easy on you. It's a beginners class, remember." Ronon got the impression that Sheppard's reminder was meant for him as much as it was for McKay. Like he was going to break Sheppard's scientist. He wasn't that stupid, he knew the golden rule of Atlantis. You don't touch McKay. Not if you want to live to tell the tale about it.

"First lessons all about falling," Ronon barked, enjoying the way Rodney twitched. "No one's expecting you to be able to fight your way through ten men, that's what you've got us for," he nodded his head in John and Teyla's direction - both of whom had given up all pretence of stick fighting to watch. "But we need to know, I need to know that you can hold your own until we can get to you."

Rodney nodded, looking a bit more confident now that he knew Ronon wasn't about to start whaling on him.

Ronon chose that moment to strike out and sweep McKay's legs out from under him. McKay squawked indignantly as he fell but Ronon was impressed with his technique.

"Not bad, McKay, you're a natural," he said as he held a hand out to help pull him up.

"I was 12 years old when I started high school," McKay muttered. "I've had practice." McKay eyed the extended hand warily. "You're not going to pull me up part way and let go are you?"

Ronon grinned. "Only one way to find out."

* * *

"This is a very good thing you are doing for him," Teyla remarked as Rodney hobbled towards the infirmary, insisting that Carson needed to check him over.

"I'm doing it for all of us," John insisted, flushing red.

Ronon snorted and threw a sweat soaked towel at him. "Keep telling yourself that Sheppard."

* * *

  
"You know that none of you will be able to do what I do, right?" Rodney took a break from hammering away at his laptop to glare at John.

John shook his head in amusement, hopping up to sit on Rodney's desk. "You don't mince your words, do you?"

Rodney didn't look in the least bit chagrined. "I'm just being honest. I studied for years to understand the principles of - -"

"Jesus, Rodney, I'm not expecting you to teach us how to be you. Just basic maintenance for the jumper, maybe the DHD."

"There's nothing basic about Ancient control crystals, Colonel."

John sighed. "We don't need to know how they work, just where they go." Figuring a bit of flattery wouldn't go amiss, John batted his eyelids. "If anyone can teach us, it's you."

Rodney capitulated. "I suppose it will be nice to see the rest of you out of your comfort zones for a change."

"Hey," John kicked Rodney's chair to get his full attention, Rodney's annoyed expression turning towards him. "You're doing great, you know that, right?"

Rodney looked pleased. "Yeah?"

John nodded seriously. "Yeah. Proud of you, buddy." Rodney's surprised smile made John's stomach flip. Maybe Teyla and Ronon had a point after all. Maybe it was time to finally admit his feelings. John took a deep breath. "Rodney?"

"Hmm?"

"You're crucial."

"Tell me something I don't know, Colonel," Rodney huffed. "This expedition wouldn't last for a week without me and if you think that Zelenka could - -"

"Not to Atlantis," John interrupted. "Well, not just to Atlantis anyway. You're...you're.."

"I'm..?" Rodney waited for John to finish his sentence expectedly.

"You're crucial to me."

"To...? If this is a joke, it's in poor taste," Rodney's defences snapped up.

"No, no joke," John ran his fingers through his hair and spoke to a spot three feet above Rodney's left shoulder. Jesus, this was hard. "I..look, the reason I did all this, the lessons, the training...I wanted you to feel better about yourself. I wanted you to see yourself like I see you. You're...you're like nobody else and I - -"

"You love me." Rodney followed the logic through to its obvious conclusion. He sounded stunned. Stunned but sure of himself. John risked a glance at him. Rodney's eyes were so damn blue, he always forgot that until he really looked at them. They twinkled now with an emotion that John hoped meant that he'd not lost the best friend he'd had since Holland. John took another leap of hope.

"Yeah."

"And not just in the way a friend loves another friend, right?"

John ducked his head as he heard his own words thrown back at him. "No, not just in that way. But you are my friend Rodney and that's important to me, I don't want to - -"

"Ohmygodstoptalking," Rodney's chair crashed to the floor as he stood and threw himself at John.

Kissing Rodney, feeling Rodney's solid weight pressing up against him was worth every single lecture on appropriate times to flirt that he'd had to endure from Teyla. It was worth more than anything John could give.

He never wanted it to end.

Rodney pulled back for a breath. "This doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on you when it's my turn to teach my skills," he panted. "It's way past time you all learned how to work with the Ancient tech, if I could let Ronon beat me up two hours a day for a week then you can suck it up and - -"

"Rodney?!" John raised his voice to get Rodney's attention.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

Rodney was more than happy to shut up when the reward was John happily licking his way into his mouth.

Resolving to learn how to properly shoot was the best decision Rodney had ever made.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually my first attempt at my secret Santa fic but it wasn't working for me so I rubbished it. I'm making an effort to finish all my abandoned WIPs so.....
> 
> As always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://buffycuddlespigs.tumblr.com)


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